Fears of stronger BJP in their backyard behind regional leaders' anger towards ... - Economic Times

NEW DELHI: J Jayalalithaa said on Thursday, Gujarat's development is a "myth", that the state is only good at "marketing itself ". Mamata said on Wednesday that "projections that Narendra Modi will become prime minister are like a gas balloon... it will burst when the gas leaks". Mulayam Singh Yadav said on Thursday he, not Modi, will lay claim to the prime ministerial post after polls. He also said "some BJP leaders are in touch with him to stop Modi from being PM".

These are strong anti-Modi words from three of India's most powerful regional satraps, and such sentiments, or even stronger ones, have been echoed by satraps elsewhere. So why are satraps having such an aggressive go at Modi? Because they probably feel something's changed. And there's probably fear behind the anger. When the poll season began, the consensus was that even if a Modi-led BJP emerges as the singlelargest party, NDA will fall far short of majority and satraps will have the whip hand on forming the next government.

But recent opinion poll figures show Modi-led BJP is gaining in the strongholds of all these satraps and in some cases -- Orissa and Tamil Nadu --it is doing unexpectedly well. Even in Bengal, local political analysts are talking of a vote share jump for BJP. Plus, opinion polls are predicting an NDA majority. And high polling turnout so far is being seen by most pundits as a good sign for BJP. A stronger BJP in their backyard and possible irrelevance when it comes to government-formation in Delhi - this is the worst case scenario for satraps. Thus, probably, their sharp attacks on Modi. So, the verbal barrage against Modi by Jayalalithaa, Nitish Kumar, Naveen Patnaik, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee can be a sign of nervousness.

Mayawati said on Monday, "If Modi comes to power, the country will be ruined," and for good measure added the next PM will not be Modi but a Dalit's daughter. Her attack was also personal: "Modi is a strange man. He does not even know history. He is fooling Dalits..." Opinion polls are predicting a 50-seat sweep for BJP in UP. And chances that Mayawati can be a power broker at the Centre look slim if one goes by the polls.

Mulayam's fielding of Azam Khan as the blunt verbal instrument has earned the Election Commission's ire. But that Khan went as far as he did in what was clearly an effort to galvanise Muslim votes, and that Mulayam's own address to the same constituency even had allusions to how rape as a crime should be treated, demonstrated real concern over becoming less electorally relevant in UP. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been scathing about opinion polls that have shown NDA getting a majority and BJP and allies making huge inroads in Bihar at the expense of JD(U).

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